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- Pará:
Official website: http://www.pa.gov.br
Capital: Belém
Area: 1,253,164 km2
Important cities: Santarém, Marabá, Altamira (the largest municipality in Brazil; Altamira is bigger than several Brazilian states and bigger than many countries), Castanhal
Economy: minerals (iron, bauxite, manganes, gold, tin), agriculture, cattle
Important newspapers: O Liberal
Do not confuse the state of Pará(PA) with southern Paraná(PR). Most of the state is covered by the Amazon jungle. The river Amazon cuts across the state, as well
as several of its more important subsidiaries: Tapajós, Tocantins, Jari and Pará. Most land is under 200 m of altitude, but the state has a few mountain chains, like
Carajás, Caximbinho and Acari, where most of the minerals are found.
The Portuguese found a fortress in 1615 which would be the origin of Belém; the name of the city is a reference to Bethlem, where Jesus was born. As it happened with the
other states in the north, the territory was object of disputes; Dutch and British occupied some parts of the then Portuguese colony.
During the century XVIII, agriculture made the region prosper; when the central government decided to concentrate in Bahia and Rio de Janeiro, the state economy suffered
much, and a few attempts of independence occurred, with no success.
Late in the XIX century and early XX century, the culture of rubber brought a new relief to the economy; however, as other countries especialized in growing better rubber
trees, the city faced new economic depression.
In the 1960s, the agriculture started to grown in the south of State; in the 1970s, a new boost came with the discovery of massive iron reserves in the Chain of Carajás
(which are still producing and growing until today) and gold mines in Serra Pelada (almost exhausted today).
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